September 14th,2020
Bureau Report
Peshawar
At least 70 transgenders have been killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since 2015 while many have faced intense violence.
Transgender Gul Panrra was killed on her way back from a mehindi ceremony in the Pelosi area of Peshawar while her partner Chaahat was shifted to the Khyber Teaching Hospital in critical condition and is still undergoing treatment there.
Social activist Taimur Kamal, the president of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Civil Society says that the accused have never been convicted in any of the cases to date, and perhaps this is the reason why violence against the trans community has been increasing.
The next day after her murder, unidentified assailants had attacked and vandalized the residence of Gul Panrra where her other friends from the trans community had also been sharing space. Mahi Gul demanded police protection at once.
Arooz Khan, the provincial president of the KP trans community, told Voicepk.net that after the murder of transgenders and the cases filed against them, the opposing parties use intimidation tactics to harass the victims’ families.
Chief Capital Police Peshawar Muhammad Ali Gandapur said that Rafiullah, the main accused in Gul Panrra murder case, has been arrested. CCPO Peshawar says various teams have been formed while the SP City has also been assigned as a focal person to address the protection of transgenders.
In April 2018, the Protection of Transgenders Act was enacted after the passage of the Transgender Person Protection of Rights Bill 2018 from the Senate and the National Assembly, but the four provinces have so far failed to take practical steps to implement it.
Like other countries in the world, Pakistan has signed agreements with international organizations to protect all its citizens and has enacted legislation to protect transgenders also but has not implemented any legislation.
